India's Supreme Court directed the state of Rajasthan on December 18, 2024, to conduct on-ground and satellite mapping of sacred groves, including Orans, Dev-vans, and Rundhs, and to complete their survey and notification across districts. The court ruled that classification should not depend on size but on cultural and ecological significance, and suggested protection under the Wildlife Protection Act's community-reserve framework. This judgment followed a case concerning Rajasthan's sacred groves and formally recognizes a conservation tradition that has persisted for centuries.
Sacred groves are patches of natural vegetation protected by communities for religious, cultural, or spiritual reasons. They range from small clusters of trees to village forests spanning several hectares, with rules varying by location: some prohibit all cutting and hunting, while others allow regulated collection of honey, medicinal plants, or deadwood. Because they are often less disturbed than surrounding areas, these groves preserve native species, reduce soil erosion, retain moisture, and support groundwater recharge. In arid regions, they also provide grazing land, fodder, and water for pastoral communities.
The CPR Environmental Education Centre has documented 13,270 sacred groves across India, though it notes this is not a final count and many boundaries exist primarily through customary knowledge rather than official maps. Regional names reflect local traditions: Devarakadu in Karnataka, Kavu in Kerala, Oran in Rajasthan, Sarna or Jaherthan in Jharkhand, Law Kyntang in Meghalaya, Umang Lai in Manipur, and Dev Van in Himachal Pradesh. Despite different names and rituals, the underlying principle remains consistent — certain forests are not considered free for exploitation.
In Karnataka's Malnad region, Devara Kadu groves have shrunk from roughly 15,000 acres to under 9,000 acres by 2018, with encroachments linked to migration and economic pressures. Kerala's Kavus, particularly in Kannur and Kasaragod, have retained more forest character; the state biodiversity board launched a pilot restoration program in April 2026 covering five groves, identifying over 100 native and threatened plant species and planning nearly 3,000 saplings for planting.
In Meghalaya, the Khasi community protects Law Kyntang groves through customary traditions. Researchers from Assam Royal Global University measured carbon storage exceeding 100 megagrams per hectare in the Law Kyntang Ryngkew Swer Sacred Grove, with dense patches reaching 200 Mg/ha. Manipur reports around 365 Umang Lai groves, though urban expansion is increasing pressure. In Jharkhand, Adivasi communities protested in 2025 when a flyover ramp was completed near the Kendriya Sarna Sthal, a central sacred grove drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
Rajasthan's Orans present a distinct ecological profile in the Thar Desert. The Supreme Court judgment noted approximately 25,000 Orans covering around six lakh hectares, with 5.37 lakh hectares in the western Thar. These grasslands provide grazing, forest produce, medicinal plants, and protect water sources. Conservationist and camel herder Sumer Singh Bhati has raised concerns that large-scale solar and wind projects in western Rajasthan could damage native grasses such as sewan and dhaman, on which livestock depend.
The court's directive to classify groves as forests regardless of size marks a shift in how conservation value is assessed. It acknowledges that communities have long protected these landscapes through belief, custom, and collective responsibility rather than formal plans. The ruling also highlights a growing tension: land needed for India's clean-energy transition overlaps with community-protected ecosystems that provide both ecological functions and livelihood support.
Scientists now describe these groves as biodiversity refuges, carbon stores, water catchments, and ecological corridors — terms that align with what communities have maintained through generations. The legal recognition does not resolve all pressures, but it establishes a framework where customary protection can intersect with statutory conservation, potentially securing these landscapes against fragmentation from infrastructure and development.
Sacred Forests, Ancient Rules: How India’s Communities Have Protected Nature for Centuries
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